Chapter 10>Replacing the Fuel Gauge Sender

Step 12-May 13-Replacing the fuel sender: This has been one of my pet peeves. For years it has never given me an accurate read and I have been toying with the idea to replace the fuel sender. I finally removed it and was surprised....WHAT A RIG!

I have no idea what they were thinking of when installing this. I can only figure out that they felt the armature was cut too short then they the two halves with screws. The depth of the tank is 7", which means the armature needs to be just five inches. They rigged it and measured it at 9". I really don't know how to test the unit or the gauge on the instrument panel to see if only one is bad so I am hoping everything will work once I replace the sending unit.

The new unit, along with the ratchet crimper and sandpaper, finally arrived and I installed it.

The new sender with 5200 as sealant

When installing the new unit the screw holes did not line up and after numerous tries I was finally able to forcibly screw the unit down. I thought of tapping the holes but the lever wasn’t long enough. I thought of drilling the screws in but decided not to for caution the spark on the drill can possibly ignite the fumes coming out of the tank. I was going to tap the holes and use the screws that came with the replacement unit but luckily the handle but my tap kit does not reach down to the area where the holes are. I purchased a 10$ kit at Discount Auto and a few days later went to Home Depot and measured the screws that came with the unit. They turned out to be a #10-24. I would have probably made things worst if I would have gone and tapped the holes on my first attempt.

To my satisfaction the gauge on the instrument panel worked perfectly! However when I tilted the boat to let out the rainwater, gas started to leak out of the tank through the new sending unit. I coated it with 5200 and tested it out a few days later. It still leaked and I'm not sure whether the 5200 had not cured or just isn't good for this. I have two options. I can try the same sealant I used on the motor or remove the unit, tap the holes, and seal the whole thing again.

It was very satisfying to see the gauge work correctly and I can see how the length of the sending unit armature affected the reading.

Electrical:

I went ahead and installed the new switch on the Blue Sea panel but the lights still did not work. In fact I noticed the navigation lights were not working either. I went ahead and disconnected everything from the fuse box and started to bunch up all the ground wires. There were three ground wires that came from the lights that I had combined together and connected to one wire and connected that to the ground terminal. I am set on not “rigging” anything. I cut them loose and attached new connectors to each. I then went ahead and placed two per terminal. A decision that I will be taking back today. I want all the negatives on their perspective terminals or on a bus. I also ran out of blue connectors and ordered them from Amazon this morning.

I spent the most part of the day working on the console wiring and feel that I did a very good job. All my lights turned on.

However when I lifted the trailer lift to empty the rainwater out of the boat up the gas leaked out of the gas tank. Apparently the new gauge does not seal correctly despite laying a coat of 5200 around it.

I also might have possible problems with the engine tilt.  When I pull up the engine it would not go up. I went and physically pushed it up and then it seemed to work with a bit of strain. I’m worried about this and think it had to do with either the battery is low or there is a mechanical problem with the trim. My remedies are the following. 

If the fuel sender continues to leak I purchased an extension for my tap and die this morning and I will drill or expand the holes on the tank. As for the engine tilt, I am charging the batteries. After that my next step would be to add fluid to the system and will need a large screwdriver. I am now going to figure out how much I’ve spent on the boat maintenance…..

May 14-Update: I’ve decided I am going to restore the Causeaican to the best it can be. I hate to think that it is all “cosmetic” and perhaps the biggest problem I have is with the engine, but let’s start somewhere. The trailer winch arrived a few days ago but was missing the crank handle. I called the Home Depot and I am waiting for their response. The weather is turning, it should rain today. I feel I need to come up with some kind of cover before I install the hatches. I had thought of fixing the spider web cracks before installing them but I think I will do the spider webs slowly. 

In the next few days, weather permitting, I would like to finish sanding down the prow, replacing the gas sender, cleaning, and apply Gelcoat to the front area under the fishing seat.

This is a season-long chore and I need to be patient. I have closed my eyes to the amount of money I am spending and hope that in the end it will all have been worth it. Unfortunately, after living the way I did in Marathon, with the boat two steps away from my door, I don’t think I will ever enjoy it as much as I did then.

2100>Today I received the switch, paint, and heat shrink. The weather has been spotty with light rain sprinkles. 

May 15-Budget Buster: No work today, tied up a few ends before going back to work tomorrow and it rained. I would think that moisture got into the large crack on the front deck of the boat and I will not/should not attempt to work on it till it is bone dry. So far I’ve spend about 650$ on the actual boat repairs...should make a list, and about 450$ on equipment.

May 16-Update-Rain: It’s sprinkling again today so there won’t be any work on the boat or anywhere else for that matter. I should receive the heat fasteners today and the only thing pending will be the trim tab anode and wiring.

In the afternoon it stopped raining and the sun came out. I went ahead and replaced the fuel gauge. Note the way I found the old one rigged. I also noticed the swing arm was to be cut with the float at 5” and the one installed was about 9” long.

May 24-Update-More Rain: It's the Memorial Day weekend and unfortunately it has been raining. We also reopened the store this past Wednesday and I have been too tired to come home and work on the boat. However all my supplies seem to have arrived. I have the wiring, primer and topside black paint, trim tab anode, sandpaper, offset screwdrivers, and wire connectors. I am waiting for the winch handle.

The first thing on my agenda is to sand down the prow and to seal the gas tank...stay tuned.

Chapter 9>Rewiring the Console-Tying Up Loose Ends

Step 11-May 09-Rewiring the console: After securing the Nave light and testing it, I began to work on the display gauges, fuse box, panel switch. I felt the entire panel and electrical contacts were in need of updating and decided to just rewire/rearrange the entire set of wires under the console.

As I tested the switch panels and corresponding loads, I found that the far-right switch on the panel may be damaged. I measured the voltage on all the panel switches and they measured at 12v. However, that switch measured just 3V.

I went ahead and ordered what turned out to be a reset switch and then ordered the correct switch. But that decision turned out OK because I changed out the entire unit.

The Reset and Switch

I got working on that and decided to rewire the whole unit. Since buying the boat I’ve neglected doing this and it’s time to figure out how it will look best. I purchased a ratchet crimper, heat shrink, and wire ties. A week later I also ordered new wiring and heat shrink connectors that have the lead inside to melt and weld the wires together.

It took me a couple of hours but although I feel I need to rewire the entire harness

(you can see it stretch from lower right to the upper left) At that point I had not received the new wiring. I'm also having problems finding black with yellow stripe and yellow with black stripe wire.

Finished

Although the results were not exactly the way I wanted them to be, it is a definite improvement over the cluster fuck that it was before. And the best part is that everything is connected and working. My next step is to go into the instrument panel and connect the panel lights, temperature gauge and I am going to rewire the port deck light because it seems to have a false contact. Grecia, my mother-in-law repainted my "Key Float" with orange nail polish.

Chapter 8>The Main Event-Sealing the Prow and Spider Web Cracks

Step 10-May 08-Spider Web Cracks and Prow:

I finally summed enough courage to tackle the spider web cracks and the separation at the prow. I learned that SWCs are when the fiberglass flexes and the Gelcoat does not. Like when you bounce the boat amid the waves. Long term lesson? Treat her gently. Mind you, I am not sure whether the holes on the prow are causing the water to enter the boat and I really didn’t like the result I had when I painted the transom with the Gelcoat. I think I can still remedy that by sanding the backdown. Using the new Dremel tool (which worked awesomely) I dug into a couple of the holes and with Sandra’s help laid down the Gelcoat. Like the videos I saw, I added Silica to thicken the Gelcoat. I used two ounces of Gelcoat and about two tablespoons of the Silica. At first, I didn’t think it didn’t need so much and I"m not too crazy about the results. In the videos, the Gelcoat thickens to a paste. In my experience it thickened but looked more like oatmeal. I brushed it on the holes first and hoped Sandra would spread it, She got confused and didn’t spread it where it belonged. I finally brushed it on the prowl and it came on irregular and uneven. I will have quite a job sanding it down.

Like the console hole project, I will be updating this post as I continue to improve and complete this.

Chapter 7>Undoing the Woodpecker's Work

Step 7-Covering up the console holes with Black Starboard…

This was really sobering….I got the table saw, a fine blade, and another gallon of Acetone. I went and cut the starboard. The sizing was well done then I looked for screws to install it. I settled on some #8 and afterward I felt they were too large. I also forgot to use 5200 on the back and I could have beveled the piece (I need a router table). In a nutshell I wasn’t happy at all after all the work and expense I’ve put into it. Very mediocre. I did not continue and perhaps I will make another attempt tomorrow. This morning I went out and got #6-1” stainless steel screws for the top. I also need to cut a recess so the screws sit low.

This really bummed me out but I am confident I will take it apart and fix it all.

-This post will be updated in the future.

Chapte 6>Jack, Wheel and Trailer Painting

Step 6-Trailer Jack and Wheel: 5/5-Yesterday I received the trailer jack, I had received the wheel on Sunday, and I went ahead and installed it. You may notice the old one was totally rusted. I went ahead and sanded the area down using the new detail sander (The Beast), the Dremel which worked quite well for the real tight spots and then finished it off with the pneumatic sander. That one did the trick! I was ready to paint it!. 

I got motivated and began to paint the front part of the trailer where the jack is located.

Step 7-Painting the front of the trailer and More….I was going to brush on the pint of Rust-Olem black paint but decided to use the Black Phantom paint instead. After all, I was going to only use it just to paint the lower unit fin. The last can I purchased I ended up giving it to my friend Art. That was over five years ago and I also have the Chromatic Primer. I had to unclog the can to make it work and once I did, it was as if I had just purchased it.  But before that I had to cut two locks I had secured the spare tire with.

I sanded down the area using my new Detail Sander (The Beast), the Dremel Tool which worked quite well and then finished it all off with the pneumatic sander.

 Afterward, I was a bit apprehensive about spray painting so close to the boat but made sure the wind was not blowing into the boat and covered the area with tape and newspaper. 

I've only used that can of primer once to just paint the scratched section of my lower unit and have had it for over six years. Once I thoroughly covered the areas I did not want to spray paint I went ahead and sprayed the primer on and then applied two coats of the Black Phantom spray paint. 

I used a pint of regular black paint and painted the front, then the Winch Stand, then the trailer body all the way to the tires on both sides! I finally ran out of paint and I did not expect that! The trailer looks great and it was relatively easy. The worst part of it was that I did not sand the old paint down, just cleaned it with Acetone. I have always seen a layer of yellow under the trailer’s black paint and always thought the trailer was made of fiberglass. It turned out that the yellow was actually the primer….who would have thought to paint an aluminum trailer BLACK!?

Although I did not do a thorough job the results are great! I purchased a can of primer and black topside paint and will be finishing once I take care of all the console work. I am leaving the trailer painting towards the end of the project so that I won't be standing on the trailer once I paint it.

So, it looks great but I can’t stand the condition that the winch is in, sooo…. I ordered a new one for 45$!!!

I hope this brings it all back to speed. Tomorrow I plan to attempt to lay down the gel coat and seal the prow. That’s what started this whole project in the first place. After that I want to wipe down the rust marks with the Muriatic acid, wash down the interior, wax it, and install the cutting boards and teak steps. I will not do the hatches till I get the spider web cracks and nicks that are in the coolers and under the seat. I am going to also do the big crack that is in the front of the boat and once I do that it’s time to tackle the electrical part that includes the lights, temperature, and fuel gauges….oh yeah...B.O.A.T=Bail Out Another Thousand-Tight Lines.....

Chapter 5>Nav Light

Step 5-Nav Light:

This is where it all started to get out of hand. I looked at the condition of the nav light and went ahead and ordered a 20$ new LED light. It arrived a few days later and it was beautiful and as a result, it encouraged me to go ahead and do more cosmetic work on the boat.

The Sun and seawater caused older light to calcify and dull.

This is the new LED light

So the next day after installing the light I went and purchased a table saw, fine blade, and portable wet-dry vacuum. I have also purchased or ordered a new detail sander, sanding discs for my orbital sander, Black Topside paint, mixing bowls (ripped off?) Muriatic acid, black topside paint, 1” brush,  the trailer jack and wheel, Dremel (so that I can cut out the “spider web” fractures), wool bonnets for the polisher, McGuire polishing system, black 1/4" starboard, Quicksilver Phantom paint for the lower unit, pneumatic sander, 2” sanding discs for the pneumatic sander, batteries for my drill and driver, (I almost gave them to my brother but realized the generic replacement batteries cost 32$ for two), more acetone, adapter for the vacuum, Silica to harden the Gelcoat (it arrived today) so that I could use it as a filler, more sandpaper sheets 400-1200 grit, and did I mention a new winch? Needless to say that I am feeling quite guilty and went ahead and took care of a number of Sandra's bills. I believe I’ve done my part but I am sleepless thinking of what would happen if I lost my job. By the same token I realize I don’t want to go back to work.

So, back to the boat….

Step 9-May 06> The Nav Light disconnects-A Step back: Yesterday I went to show how well the LED light worked and it didn’t turn on. Today I finally uninstalled it and found the ground wire had come loose. It is stuck inside the boat and there’s no way of getting it. You would think all I would have to do is pull the wire but it is put in such a crazy way that I don’t see any easy way of getting out of there. I am thinking of using some very thin long tweezers or a “flex claw”.

The next day I asked Sandra to help me and she came up with the idea to "lasso the wire with a string".  I didn’t think it would work but her persistence paid off and she was able, after considerable effort, to pick up the wire and take it out with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Afterward I secured it but decided I needed a rachet crimper for any future wiring and ordered one.

Chapter 4>Adjusting the Bimini

Step 4-Adjusting the Bimini Top

For years after the boat sank and I replaced the Bimini top with a used one, I felt the Bimini top was too wide and it was producing undue stress to the Bimini rail that sits on top of the gunwale. Well I finally went and decided to remedy this by cutting off 7” of the top of the main strut. I also went and cut 8” off the aft strut.

I figured I would find a piece of aluminum piping of about 1” in diameter for the ⅞” to go into. I went to two ACE hardware stores and no aluminum, well how about a piece that would go into the ⅞ and then bolt it down? Sure enough I had the pieces I cut off.

I locked them on my vise and used my grinder to cut a groove through the center, then I went and used the vise to squeeze the pieces together. It wasn’t thin enough so I hammered the lower on of the halves below the other and “rolled” it under the other half. I realized I should have made the groove cuts two blades wide.

The cut I made was way too narrow and I spend a lot of time adjusting the tube. I corrected on the next tube.

Afterward I inserted the reduced piece of tubing into the frame and went ahead and drilled a screw to each side to keep them in place.

The bimini now seems to lack a bit of tension and I think I can remedy this by shortening the supporting front struts.